1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator that is able to carry out a heat exchange action between a hot pipe and a drain guide pipe more desirably, wherein the drain guide pipe guides defrosting water.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A refrigerator is a home appliance that stores food in a storage chamber at a low temperature by using a refrigerant cycle.
Specifically, the refrigerator comprises a main body, a cool air generating chamber provided in the main body, having an evaporator to generate the cool air, and a machine chamber provided with a compressor and a condenser.
The cool air generating chamber is provided with a defrosting water tray that receives defrosting water generated in the evaporator during a defrosting action. The defrosting water is collected in the defrosting water tray in such a manner that it downwardly moves along a drain guide pipe connected to the defrosting water tray and is collected in a water collecting tray provided below the main body.
The compressor and the condenser are connected with each other by a hot pipe, which guides a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the condenser. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor is at a high temperature state, whereby the hot pipe has a very high surface temperature.
The hot pipe is connected with the compressor such that it is arranged inside or outside the main body, whereby the hot pipe is connected with the condenser through the water collecting tray. As a result, the hot pipe can prevent condensation from occurring on the surface of the main body, and can serve to evaporate the water collected in the water collecting tray.
However, the refrigerator according to the related art has a problem in that the hot pipe is spaced apart from the drain guide pipe for guiding defrosting water, so as not to carry out heat exchange therebetween.